No Muslim Ban Ever Vigil

On Monday, October 9, local groups from the Bay Area, including the Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus (ALC), the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), National Iranian American Council (NIAC), and Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) will host a local vigil to uplift the voices of those most impacted by President Trump’s discriminatory Muslim Bans.

The Supreme Court was expected to hear oral arguments on Tuesday, October 10, regarding whether the Trump Administration’s executive order violated the Constitution. However, the Supreme Court last week cancelled oral arguments after the Trump Administration announced its new Muslim Ban.

This new Muslim Ban, like the others, continues to affirm the discriminatory policies coming out of the Trump Administration against people on the basis of their Muslim faith and/or national origin. Adding two non-majority Muslim countries doesn’t change the math or the intent of Trump’s new Muslim Ban when six out of eight targeted countries are Muslim majority.

Jehan Hakim, Community Advocate at ALC:
“This Administration has proved itself to be both destructive and erratic, and we needed to make a statement that we won’t be rattled by Trump’s Islamophobic, xenophobic and discriminatory agenda. The vigil will remain on October 9 despite the cancelling of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments. We are all here to tell this Administration that we are not going anywhere. We will continue to fight every racist policy they throw at us. We will continue to protest in front of City Halls, ICE buildings, at airports, in our streets, and on the steps of the White House.”

Zahra Billoo, Executive Director at CAIR-SFBA:
“When we say, “no Muslim ban ever,” we say never again will a community have to suffer cruel, inhuman, and unconstitutional targeting by the government under the guise of national security. When we say “no Muslim ban ever,” we mean that we will work tirelessly for justice for everyone impacted by this administration’s targeting of Arabs, Muslims, undocumented individuals, people of color and others.”

Lara Kiswani, Executive Director at AROC:
“Trump’s executive orders exist within a heightened context of Islamophobia, white nationalism, and fascism that restricts Arabs, Muslims, and other ethnic and religious groups’ movement and ability to live in dignity. This recent repackaging of the Muslim Ban is just as racist, and is an extension of the war mongering and anti-immigrant agenda of the administration. As Arabs and Muslims, we are outraged by the growing attacks on immigrants, Black, Brown and poor communities in this country. And we are committed to fighting back together in the courts and in the streets.”

Donna Farvard, National Organizing Manager at NIAC:
“Any version of a Muslim Ban that is designed to fulfill a flawed campaign promise of a total and complete shutdown of Muslims from entering the United States is corrosive to American democracy,” said Donna Farvard, the National Organizing Manager for the National Iranian American Council. “The religious and racial discrimination which motivated the President to sign the first Muslim Ban has not changed, and superficial changes to the list of countries cannot purge the taint of xenophobia and bigotry.”

Nakia Woods, Bay Area Organizer at BAJI:
“The Black Alliance for Just Immigration is committed to preparing Black communities to defend against these harmful policies, to building power amongst Black immigrant organizations nationwide, and to working with our partners to fight back against this Administration’s racist and xenophobic agenda.”